1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a device for dispensing an animal consumable, such as an animal treat, the animal consumable having the viscosity of a fluid.
2. Description of the Related Art
Providing an animal a consumable treat to reward the animal for a desired exhibited behavior is a critical component of the animal training process. Currently, there are devices that automate this training process and, as a result, automatically dispense a treat in response to a detected action or in accordance with a predetermined schedule. Conventional animal treats are baked to have a crunchy consistency or formulated to have a soft and chewy consistency. The dimensions and overall shape of conventional treats are such that the treats are prone to being broken to the extent that there is a lack of uniformity in size and shape among treats even from the same batch. Because of this inconsistency in size and shape, conventional treats are problematic when used in an automatic treat dispenser. More specifically, the mechanisms used to automatically dispense conventional treats cannot reliably or accurately dispense the desired amount of the treats because they cannot accurately count or measure treats of various shapes and sizes. Additionally, because conventional treats ultimately have unpredictable shapes and sizes, automatic treat dispensers frequently become jammed and dispense no treats when programmed to do so, dispense treats when not programmed to do so, or dispense more or less treats than programmed to do so. Additionally, conventional treats, which are prone to breaking and crumbling, ultimately result in crumbs and dust that accumulate within, on, and about a conventional treat dispenser, detrimentally affecting the cleanliness and functionality of the dispenser. Consequently, a device that automatically, reliably, and consistently dispenses uniform animal consumables is desired.